Pumping units are used in a variety of applications for compressing, raising, or transferring fluids. For example, pumping units may be used in municipal water and sewage service applications, mining and/or hydrocarbon exploration and production applications, hydraulic motor applications, and consumer product manufacturing applications. Pumping units, such as progressive cavity pumps, centrifugal pumps, and other types of pumping devices, are generally disposed within a fluid and are used to compress or increase the pressure of the fluid, raise the fluid between different elevations, or transfer the fluid between various destinations.
Conventional pumping units, however, suffer several disadvantages. For example, conventional pumping units generally require some form of lubrication to remain operational. For instance, a progressive cavity pump generally includes a rotor disposed within a rubber stator. In operation, a rotational force is imparted to the rotor, thereby producing a corkscrew-like effect between the rotor and the stator to lift the fluid from one elevation to another. In the case of the progressive cavity pump, friction caused by the rotation of the rotor relative to the stator without fluid lubrication oftentimes causes the progressive cavity pump to fail within a relatively short period of time. Generally, the fluid that is being pumped provides the required lubrication. However, variations in the fluid level proximate to an inlet of the pumping unit may result in an absence of fluid lubrication for the pumping unit. Thus, maintaining adequate fluid lubrication at the pumping unit is critical for the performance and longevity of pumping operations. Additionally, in centrifugal pumping applications, an absence of the fluid to be pumped may cause cavitation.